Supermarket chain Iceland is partnering with Chinese online retail giant JD.com to make its debut in China.

FOOD & DRINK

Iceland launches first online store in China on JD.com

20 April 2018 | by The Retail Bulletin

Popular products available through JD.com’s cross-border ecommerce platform JD Worldwide will include Iceland’s own-brand biscuits, cereals and sauces, as well as a selection of cosmetic products from brands such as Pulsin, Re-gen, and Soft and Gentle.

JD.com has close to 300 million active customers across China.

Sir Malcolm Walker, founder of Iceland, said: “Iceland never stands still. The rapid growth and opportunities the market in China offers were significant, and we decided it was time to act. JD.com is a magnificent partner for us and we are excited to see the response of customers in China to our product range.”

Over the last two years, the number of UK brands available on JD.com has doubled, with sales of UK products in 2017 growing by 100% from the previous year. During a state visit by UK Prime Minister Theresa May earlier this year, JD.com’s chairman and chief executive Richard Liu made a commitment to sell £2 billion worth of UK goods to Chinese consumers in the next two to three years.

Commenting on the Iceland partnership, Yang Ye, general manager of JD Worldwide, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Iceland to bring their renowned products to Chinese consumers for the first time. With consumer demand for imported British products growing rapidly, this is an ideal time for a respected brand like Iceland to enter the China market. Iceland adds to the growing number of British brands on our platforms as we continue our push to bring the best of Britain to Chinese consumers.”

This week, JD.com is hosting a special campaign to promote British goods. The 24-hour “Celebrate Britain” sales promotion for UK products was held on 18 April to introduce the “Best of Britain” to Chinese customers.